Hacon's Incomparable
PearOrigin/History
About the year 1792, a Mrs. Rayner sowed the seeds of a Rayner's Norfolk Seedling at Norfolk, England. Subsequently, about 1814, one of the resultant trees was propagated from grafts by a Mr. Hacon of Downham Market, Norfolk (Hedrick). Downing and Elliott describe it simply as raised by Mr. Hacon of Downham Market, Norfolk. Elliott notes the variety "deserves more attention than yet received."
Tree
A hardy, productive tree with rather depending or spreading, rather drooping branches. Young shoots rather slender, diverging, olive-colored. According to Hedrick, the blossoms bear the sharpest frosts without injury, rendering the tree particularly valuable for climates similar to that of England, but the tree cannot be made to bear until it is eight to ten years old.
Fruit
Size: Rather large (Downing, Elliott, Thomas). Hedrick describes it as medium.
Form: Downing describes the fruit as roundish, inclining to turbinate. Elliott gives it as roundish obtuse pyriform. Thomas calls it roundish-turbinate. Hedrick describes it as globular-oblate, flattened and depressed at both poles.
Stem: Rather long, straight (Elliott).
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: With small divisions (Elliott).
Basin: Shallow (Elliott).
Skin: Slightly rough (Downing). Pale and dull yellowish green, mixed with pale brown, sprinkled with numerous greenish russet dots and russet streaks (Downing). Elliott similarly gives dull yellowish green and pale brown, with many russet streaks and dots. Hedrick describes it as pale yellowish-green, covered with numerous russety spots and markings. Thomas gives yellowish-green and brown, partly russeted.
Flesh/Flavor: White (Downing, Elliott), or yellowish-white (Hedrick), buttery, melting. Downing describes a rich vinous flavor and rates it "Good." Elliott describes the flesh as sugary, juicy, and rates it "nearly if not quite 'best.'" Hedrick describes a rich, vinous, sweet, musky flavor. Thomas says simply vinous.
Core/Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
October and November (Downing, Elliott, Thomas). Hedrick gives a longer season of November to January.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1911) from England
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (4)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Hacon's Incomparable.
Celestus. Downham Seedling.
An English fruit, raised by Mr. Hacon, of Downham Market, Norfolk. It is a hardy, productive tree, with rather depending branches. Young shoots rather slender, diverging, olive-colored.
Fruit rather large, roundish, inclining to turbinate. Skin slightly rough, pale, and dull yellowish green, mixed with pale brown, sprinkled with numerous greenish russet dots and russet streaks. Flesh white, buttery, melting, with a rich vinous flavor. Good. October and November.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Hacon Incomparable. i. Card. Chron. 20. 1841. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 591. 1884. About the year 1792 a Mrs. Rayner sowed the seeds of a Rayner's Norfolk Seedling at Norfolk, Eng. Subsequently, about 1814, one of the resultant trees was propagated from grafts by a Mr. Hacon of the same place. The hardy and productive tree renders it particularly valuable for climates similar to that of England. The blossoms bear the sharpest frosts without injury but the tree cannot be made to bear until it is eight to ten years old. Fruit medium, globular-oblate, flattened and depressed at both poles, pale yellowish-green, covered with numerous russety spots and markings; flesh yellowish-white, melting, buttery with a rich, vinous, sweet, musky flavor; Nov. to Jan.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Hacon's Incomparable.
Downham Seedling.
Foreign. A hardy, productive variety ; spreading, rather drooping branches : deserves more attention than yet received, young shoots slender, olive color, diverging ; fruit, rather large, roundish obtuse pyriform, dull yellowish green and pale brown, with many russet streaks and dots ; stem, rather long, straight ; calyx, with small divisions ; basin, shallow ; flesh, white, buttery, melting, sugary, juicy, nearly if not quite "best." October, November.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Hacon's Incomparable. Rather large, roundish-turbinate, yellowish-green and brown, partly russeted; buttery, melting, vinous. October. English.